Minister to Spend 30 Days in Jail If He Fails To Pay Fine

A Deputy Minister of Monitoring and Evaluation,Williams Kwasi Sabi, has been found guilty of contempt by the Sunyani High Court and fined GH¢7,000. He is to serve a 30-day prison term should he fail to pay the fine.

On February 10, 2014, the court granted an interlocutory injunction restraining Mr Sabi and his privies, agents and assigns from clearing, preparing and or developing or dealing with a disputed piece of land pending the final determination of a suit. However, the respondents decided to disregard the order and went ahead with activities on the land in dispute, in spite of the order having been served them.

A second respondent in the suit filed by the Denteh Family of Asuotiano in the Dormaa East District in the Brong Ahafo Region, Mr Kwabena Agyasco, was also fined GH¢5,000 by the court for contempt. He will spend 25 days in prison if he fails to pay the fine. Yasco, was also fined GH¢5,000 by the court for contempt. He will spend 25 days in prison if he fails to pay the fine.

According to the facts of the case, even as recent as 15/05/2017, the respondents, either by themselves or through their agents, were working on the land with impunity.

In his ruling, Mr. Justice Nabarese said, “The action by the respondents, to say the least, was an affront to the dignity of the court, which is supposed to uphold the rule of law.”

He said he was not convinced by the open declaration of the respondents in court that they had shown remorse for their action.

“If their activities had stopped when this order for interlocutory injunction and the contempt application were served on them, then their plea to be dealt with leniently could be taken seriously,” Justice Nabarese said.

“In this regard, I find the respondents guilty of contempt and I proceed to convict them and sentence them accordingly,” he added.